Thursday, May 17, 2012

Since we felt satisfied but not overstuffed after a sandwich at Panes why not walk a mere 100 feet down Sheffield to Michael Kornick's quick n fast fish concept for round two?... Fish Bar - a bright and clean space goes a long way with this type of cuisine. They let the raw product speak for itself with each item on their menu.
We walked in knowing we wanted to try their calamari. Yes its simple but the dish's execution says a lot about a sea food restaurants dedication to product. Shouldn't be over battered and the sauce shouldn't drown out the delicate qualities of the squid. Theirs was great. Barely breaded at all the lil guys were served with no sauce - only some pickled peppers which were a brilliant tart n only slightly spicy pairing. As tender as any squid I've tried these are a perfect munch to start a meal. The portion sizes are smaller here so more can be sampled. Calamari was only $6. A steal.
Next! Opting for mussels in a traditional white wine broth we were greeted with super sweet and lovely textured mussels in one of the better broths we have ever tasted. We don't say this casually - Jill is a mussel fanatic. Layers of complexity - garlic, ocean and sea breeze could actually be tasted. It was awesome.
Splitting a Po' boy was the second best choice we made today. Again, it's all about the foundation of a sandwich - the bread. Spot on with lightly fried shrimp n crayfish it was simply dressed with garlic aioli L and T. Simply delish. Buttery bun...check. Call it a day.

I came across Panes on Yelp. Intrigued by a super cheap, ($6 a sandwich) 4.5 rating joint with hundreds of reviews I headed down Sheffield and made a quick stop. The Turkey, Turkey was recommended by the staff. Served on a perfectly toasted tomato Foccacia, the turkey was nice and warm, ripe avocado nugs just the right size, soft red roasted pepper n a zesty mayo created a perfectly balanced sandy. The bread at the shop is what makes all the difference. Its light and airy yet full of fresh herbaceous goodness - plus most sandwiches come toasty and warm. Panes is one of the better under $7 sandwiches in the city time after time. Cookies and sides are plentiful and worth grabbing as well while there. After all, you just saved a few coins on your "bread n meat."

Short
and sweet. Fun and maybe a bit witty. Informative yet at times spontaneous .
And of course, mouthwatering and "jealousy creating." This will not
be another super-critical, long-winded, ranting food blog. No one has time
these days to read endless lines of self-absorbed critique – plus it’s no fun
being nasty. This will feature the foods I love to eat and the places that
serve them. Often just a few sentences, posts will be photo friendly and
enjoyable to check out with a spare minute or two.

I'm
a diehard food and wine lover who's lucky enough to work with both every day.
I'd like to think that lends my insights an added dimension. I often seek out
the lesser-known spots around town that I come upon by word of mouth within the
industry. Everyone knows Girl n the Goat, Boka and Publican are super bad ass -
no doubt. They rank as some of my most enjoyable meals and they will all end up
in this blog. But I want to open peeps eyes to everything Chicago (and
wherever) has to offer through the taste buds of Scott Hinden.